The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released its final revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard. OSHA’s central purpose in making its major modifications is to align the HCS with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System adopted in 2003 aiming to achieve worldwide uniformity in classifying and labeling chemicals, writes Holland & Knight LLP.

Kia Motors Corporationsaid it has received eco-credentials for three of its newest models introduced to the European market. The cee’d C-segment hatchback, Optima hybrid D-segment sedan and the Sorento CUV have been certified according to the ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The first and second generations of cee’d have been certified according to ISO 14062 Design for Environment (DfE). TÜV Nord conducted the audit.

The European Commission’s updated WEEE Directive entered into force this week, setting a target of salvaging at least 85 percent of technology-related trash generated in the EU by 2020. Under the new rules, countries are required to take back some of their WEEE free of charge. Also the new directive aims to fight the practice of shipping illegal waste overseas, writes TechWeek Europe.

A bill signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July authorizes a municipal corporation to provide real property tax exemptions for certified green building improvements. Companies considering construction of a potentially qualifying improvement can review local legislative activity to see whether the localities have adopted the exemption, which affects construction projects beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2013, Home Channel News said.

Tsubakimoto Europe, a manufacturer and supplier of roller chain, has earned its ISO 14001 accreditation. To achieve the standard the company said it created a list of 14 goals for the next five years which included improving the company’s energy efficiency, a review of warehousing, and reducing the levels of waste it sends to landfill.

Brookfield Office Properties announced that the Ernst & Young Plaza office tower in Los Angeles has received LEED Platinum certification. The 41-story, 1.2 million-square-foot property earned 90 points out of 100. Some of the upgrades at the building include lighting retrofits, projects to reduce water consumption and improvements to the roof deck to lower building heat, writes Los Angeles Downtown News.

The Michael S. Brown Village Center at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., has received LEED Silver certification. The Village Center is an $11.1 million, three-story mixed-use, store-front building with student loft apartments, meeting space, open design classrooms and market space, the college said.